Britain

Written by leading orchid specialists, and with detailed descriptions, keys, line drawings, distribution maps and colour photographs, this new field guide will be an invaluable identification tool, providing urgently needed help in clarifying the status of these wonderfully diverse plants, many of which are rare or endangered.

As is the case with many other rare and sought-after species of plant and animal, Madagascar is one of the world’s prime locations for orchids, which make up the largest family of flowering plants on the island. Madagascar is home to nearly one thousand different species of orchids?which make up nearly ten percent of the island’s flora?nearly nine hundred of them endemic. Orchids are found in almost every habitat on the island, from the mountains to the coasts, and this field guide?the first of its kind, fully illustrated with color photographs and packed with details to aid identification?is an invaluable tool for researchers and ecotourists visiting the island.

This is without doubt the most comprehensive field guide to the orchids of Britain and Europe. Every one of the 216 species and 30 subspecies are described and illustrated with superb colour photographs. For each species there is a close up photograph of the flower head and a more distant view showing the whole plant. There are also nearly 200 line drawings which highlight particular identification features. The text describes each species, as well as giving detailed information on habitat, flowering season, and distribution.